We just spent a wonderful long weekend up in Western North Carolina with friends, and the leaves could not have been better. We sat by the fire, we hiked, and we ate a ton. I hated for it to end. Here is a picture from on of our hikes from the top of Hawksbill. The weekend definitely got me in the mood for fall recipes, and while searching for some today, I came across this tasty number on www.delish.com for pecan shortbread with chocolate drizzle. What a great combo- I can’t wait to try it.
Pecan Shortbread with Chocolate Drizzle
Ingredients:
3/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup(s) pecan flour , or 1/2 cup whole pecans, finely ground
1/4 cup(s) sugar
1/8 teaspoon(s) cinnamon
Large pinch of salt
1 stick(s) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
1 large egg yolk
8 pecan halves
2 ounce(s) bittersweet chocolate, chopped and melted
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a large rimmed baking sheet. In a medium bowl, stir the all-purpose and pecan flours with the sugar, cinnamon and salt. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine cornmeal. Add the egg yolk and blend it in with a fork. Lightly knead the shortbread dough until it is smooth.
Transfer the shortbread dough to the prepared baking sheet and flatten it into a 6-inch round. Refrigerate the dough until it is well chilled, about 20 minutes.
Using the blunt side of a knife, score the dough into 8 wedges. Lightly press a pecan into the wide end of each wedge. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the shortbread is browned around the edge. While the shortbread is still warm, cut it into wedges with a serrated knife. Let the shortbread cool to room temperature, then drizzle with the chocolate and serve.
